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Painter Jodie Baehre turns brush on Dorchester in latest exhibition

A new collection of paintings by artist Jodie Baehre entitled Dorchester will be on display at the Ashmont Grill from March 15 through May 15. Image courtesy Jodie Baehre

A new collection of paintings by local artist Jodie Baehre entitled Dorchester will be on display at the Ashmont Grill from March 15 through May 15.

The exhibit, which will showcase the architecture and culture of the neighborhood through a series of acrylic urban landscapes, will officially kick off with an opening reception at the Peabody Square restaurant on Tuesday, March 20 from 5-7 p.m.

A native of western New York, Baehre has painted scenes of urban life from cities of the Rust Belt such as Buffalo, Detroit, and Flint. Since moving to Boston in 2002, her focus has shifted to capturing the streets, buildings, and skylines of her new hometown, and specifically her home neighborhood of Dorchester.

Her work has been displayed at more than 30 exhibitions around Boston and remains on permanent display at the Boston Public Library, the Factory 63 gallery, Harvard University, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Baehre’s latest series features large-scale depictions of trolley cars, three-deckers, and other hallmarks of Dorchester and Mattapan. Her style is marked by her fascination with color and light, the two aesthetic features that she says are most central to her art.

“Looking into a moment and knowing the exact time of day it is by the color hues and cast shadows is such an intimate image to take in as a viewer,” Baehre explained. “Sometimes you feel like you are intruding, but sometimes you are sharing that moment with the artist. It all depends on color and light."

"In my own work, I have been working towards this idea for a long time and light places a very important role in my work. I try and capture the vast diversity of the city, scattered light between buildings, its sounds, and "beat" in my brush strokes and color choices. The complexity of the city provides constant inspiration allowing me to create portals to familiar places."